I know a person with dyslexia who has had
problems all his life. He was picked on in school. He can't get a
job. He does not have social skills. He can't keep any friends or girl
friends. If he
didn't have dyslexia he would be a genius.

G.R. [Posted to newsgroup]

A.
The aspect of your friend's intellect that makes you feel that without
dyslexia "he would be a genius" is probably the
same
underlying talent that gives rise to the dyslexia. What Ron Davis is saying -- and Thomas West, author of In the Mind's Eye says the same thing -- is that it is no coincidence that so many creative geniuses, like Leonardo da Vinci
,
Edison & Einstein also suffered from symptoms of dyslexia -- the thought
process that is the essence of their creativity is also the root of
difficulties with the printed (and sometimes spoken) word.

This is the
gift
part. The main reason your friend is suffering so much
is not his or her dyslexia, but the way he has been mistreated by others
because of it. If school teachers did not punish dyslexics for their
difficulties, if employers and friends did not treat people with disdain
just because they have a hard time with reading and spelling -- then
dyslexic people might still have to work hard in some areas, but they
would not be suffering.

There is no other area of intellect or talent that I can think of,
besides reading/writing skills, where people are treated so scornfully
because of their difficulties. Think about it: if you can't learn a
foreign language, can't understand higher math, can't learn to play a
musical instrument, can't sing on key, can't program a computer, can't
draw, etc. -- no one picks on you, teachers don't call you lazy, friends
don't crack jokes about you.

When we look at the gift as well as the disability we promote a wider
understanding of dyslexia, more tolerance, and development of better
educational and workplace tools for enable dyslexic people to learn and
work more effectively.

Abigail Marshall, DDAI

Q. Are all people who think in pictures dyslexic?
[January 11, 1999]

Can a person have the
gift
that accompanies dyslexia -- the ability to think 3-dimensionally in pictures
-- without the problems? If so, is that person still dyslexic?

Asked on the Dyslexia Discussion Board

A.
Here’s what I have discovered about dyslexic vs. non-dyslexic thinkers. I have
asked a lot of people whether they think in pictures or in words. A
surprisingly high percentage of the people I have spoken with think in pictures
(I would say about 1 in 4). However, the ones I have spoken to do not
have the negative dyslexic symptoms. Nor do they spin things uncontrollably
around in their head, or look at things from different angles without planning
to. It seems like dyslexics have no control over how they look at things.
Things spin in their heads so that they can look at things from all angles, and
their mind’s eye moves to look at things from different angles, all without any
control (I think this is what is called “disorientation.”)

However, the picture thinkers who don't have negative dyslexic symptoms
don’t disorient like this. Most can’t do it, even if they want to. However,
some of them can disorient, but they just do it when they want to. They
control it, it doesn’t control them.

I find one common theme among the picture thinkers. They solve problems
extremely quickly but then have trouble communicating the answer to anybody
else, either verbally or in writing. One person told me, “I can solve a
problem in 5 seconds, and it will take me the rest of the day to explain it to
anybody else.” Most of the picture thinkers I talked with felt very relieved
after we talked because they thought something was off with them. They just
couldn’t see why they had the problem done and most people were still just
starting, then felt a lot of frustration about not being able to express their
pictorial solution easily.

Q. How can you teach others the visual skills that dyslexics have?
[October 26, 1998]

Many people feel that they cannot visualize, and my experience tells me that
many
people make pictures in their head that flit by too quickly. Anyone know of a
way to
actually teach others how to have the visual gifts that dyslexic people have?

C.B., Posted on Dyslexia Discussion Board.

Note: Sometimes we get asked intriguing questions; we don't always know the
answer.

A.
I have pondered the same thought at some length. "...a way to actually teach
others how to
have the visual gifts that dyslexic people have?"

I think I know how to develop the gift of
visualization. I have a BS in Mechanical Engineering and 14 years of experience
with a very
large firm. I am now a manager for 15 other ME's.

When I reflect on my own situation there is no doubt that I visualize things
much better now
than before I started studying engineering almost 20 years ago. As with
anything a person wants
to do, practice, practice and practice. It definitely will come easier to some
people than others.
Take courses in design and drafting, with particular attention to
isometric drawing.
Take classes
in art. Spend time with your eyes close visualizing things.

People with dyslexia begin developing it very early in life, as early as 3
months. They do it so
well that it becomes a subconscious process. It works very well except when
dealing with 2
dimensional objects that they don't understand, like reading. In much the same
way that a
dyslexic person has to work hard to learn to read, a language based person may
have to work
hard to be able to visualize in 3-D.

Does anyone know of a dyslexic that
doesn't
have a high IQ? More and more, I am
beginning to feel that
all
dyslexics are above average or genius level, not just some! I
have yet to read of a single person that has tested (with a good test that is)
any lower than
120-130! Average is like 95 to 110 or something, isn't it? Some people have
trouble with
certain IQ tests because they are designed more around reading, but for the
ones that
aren't, dyslexics
always
seem to excel!!! If I ever own a company, I think I'll make
being dyslexic as a prerequisite...that way I'll get hard workers with high
intelligence.

Anonymous Post to Dyslexia Discusion Board.

A.
Ron Davis believes that all dyslexics have certain talents, which are shared by
many famous dyslexics who are considered to be geniuses. These are:

They can utilize the brain's ability to alter and create perceptions (the
primary ability).

Dr. Linda Silverman, of The Gifted Development Center, has found that most very
highly gifted children have a visual-spatial learning style, and that it is
very common for these children to have learning problems commonly associated
with dyslexia.

Why, even on this web site where you call dyslexia a gift, do experts and
teachers still insist on referring to this as a 'learning disability'. Why
can't we admit that some people's brains are just different and they learn and
process information differently than
others? This is not a disability; it is a difference. Disability infers
that someone has something wrong with them. Until our education system
realizes that everyone learns differently and stops trying to force all
children to learn "their way" or be 'classified' and dumped into special
education with low expectations our public schools will continue to be a
failure.

Jim M., asked via e-mail.

A.
We agree that dyslexia reflects a different way of thinking and learning, and
not a defect. When provided with the proper tools for learning, dyslexic
people can succeed in school and at the workplace, and they should not be
stigmatized or discriminated against because of their dyslexic characteristics.

However, even though dyslexics have many gifts and talents, the
problems
associated with
dyslexia can be a very real disability to adults and children alike if
they are unresolved,
or
if the individual encounters discrimination in
education or employment because of them. Some skills, like basic literacy, are
essential to get along in today's world. Other skills are not as important,
but can be a barrier to dyslexic people because of societal and cultural
expectations. We should not deny the reality of the problems that dyslexics
face: they can not
become better readers or spellers merely by 'working harder' or
'applying themselves' or 'paying attention'.

We can help if we:

Relieve dyslexic people from expectations of performance that are
not all that important in today's world. (Example: Does it matter if a person
has messy
handwriting and poor spelling if they are proficient with a word
processor?)

Provide appropriate tools in schools and the workplace, especially now that
computer-based technology (such as voice-to-text dictation software) is readily
available and inexpensive.

Provide dyslexic people of all ages with appropriate educational
tools and resources, geared to their learning style, for areas such as
basic literacy where it is important for them to succeed.